It’s Christmas season. The spiritual and secular traditions are in full swing, as songs and greeting cards ring out heartwarming messages of Peace, Joy, Love, and Goodwill towards all. Sorry to say – very sad, indeed – but surely, I’m not alone thinking that these are pretty empty words this year.
What peace? What joy? Within families, one can hope. Within communities, definitely possible. But the world-at-large isn’t promoting peace and joy. The Earth’s most powerful leaders don’t seem to care for these sentiments. Meanwhile, we wallow in our version of chaos. A world-order based on cooperation, compassion, and compromise seems to be unraveling.
So, what can be done to restore credibility to messages of peace, love, joy, and goodwill-to-all? Start by nurturing ourselves? Concentrate on positives instead of despairing? Spread supportive thoughts and deeds in our community? Our world is broken – increasing numbers turn from God; suicides, immorality, depression, addiction levels rise exponentially, and attacks explode, especially the corrosive hostility towards Jesus Christ and Christmas.
Our world is shattered? Nothing new. 2700-years-ago the prophet Isaiah warned that humanity would turn this way: Going against the Word-of-God will bring darkness but inturning to God, there will be great hope and light.
Now, I wouldn’t mind if non-believers opened The New Testament to read and think about the alternatives therein, honestly evaluated them and concluded “now I have made my careful decision, based on integrity.” And then ask themselves truthfully – “Am I going against Christianity?” If this is their thinking, I would consider that a responsible decision – not a good decision but a responsible decision, with evidence weighed.
It’s a very risky business. Isaiah of the Old Testament, ignored and despised by most of his people, notched prediction-after-prediction. But I cringe at the most disappointing of all his optimistic prognostications – there will be a great peace – no more need for soldiers’ uniforms.
Where is this peace? Battles everywhere! Wars, grievances, conflict, immeasurable human-gendered death-and-destruction. Christianity has had 2000 years to produce peace, so where is it? You-and-I will only be saved from darkness, disillusion, cynicism, skepticism and pessimism by listening to THE WISE ONE.
When we listen, Jesus Christ is not silent, not dumb, not dull. Again and again, the wisdom and beauty in the replies of the Son-of-GodMade-Man, completely confounded and continues to confound His critics while thrilling those who heeded and heed His invitation to Love God and Love Others.
The identity and truth of Jesus is crucial. Somebody who gets it all has come into our world. We would be crazy to turn our backs on Him, change subject and talk about anything else. No! we need His help urgently, now. The day of coming face- to-face with our Maker will come; our only hope is arriving forgiven. It will be lunacy to arrive unforgiven and have God ask “why are you here unforgiven?” You say ‘I didn’t think it mattered’ and He says “I sent my Son so that you might face me safely.” This is very big, isn’t it? Isaiah promises: “the kingdom is going to get bigger and bigger because millions are responding every day.” We can hope.
His kingdom will be a rule-of-love; of justice-and-Godliness, things that we long and look for, underwritten by the Promises of His Word and the Reach of His Eternal Power.
Let’s ponder why do we do what we do, turning up at our family’s feast (that’s great), then leaving. It’s easier today to miss Christmas since there are other things the season comes wrapped with. What a shame! But in deep humility, we gladly wish all Laval residents the very best gifts of all. Hope, goodwill and peace.
Hope in the Christmas Promise, fulfilled over centuries even when life seemed hopeless; hope living in local homes where families accept that events in our lives do occur for the best-of-reasons.
Hope that opens doors, shares goodwill, and celebrates, regardless of circumstances. That is as true today as it was during the wretched 1840s when Charles Dickens spoke these thoughts in ‘A Christmas Carol’: ‘What place is this?’ asked Scrooge. ‘A place where miners live, who labor in the bowels of the earth,’ returned the Spirit. ‘But they know me. A light shone from the window of a hut … Passing through the wall of mud and stone, they found a cheerful company assembled round a glowing fire.’
This symbolic moment-in-fiction, frozen in Christian timelessness, captures the meaning of goodwill and God Will. We are the cheerful company, gathered around the warmth-of-glowing-fire gifted by the Christ Child to humanity for all time.
And because we can agree on hope and goodwill, let’s have peace with one another on Christmas Day 2024. It’s not the dream of universal, permanent peace, but the type that each of us helps share because it was first shared with us. The effects of the Gift-of-Peace we can actually see, provided we don’t let the wrappings get in the way. With these thoughts, on behalf of THE LAVAL NEWS, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. My desire is that by this time next year – somehow, some way – the seasonal wishes of Peace, Joy, Love, and Goodwill-to-All will not seem as hollow as they do at this moment. May our hope be restored.
Renata Isopo renata@newsfirst.ca
